Relief Next to Me
by JamesPotterwasntaseeker
Summary: James and Lily stay at Hogwarts over Christmas holiday during their last year. James assuages Lily's fears as they promise each other something only they can. One-shot


**Author's Note:** A quick little Limes Christmas-y one-shot. Enjoy and happy Christmas!

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><p><strong>Relief Next to Me<strong>

_What I feel and what would matter most  
>I can't get close and I,<br>I can't get close  
>And now there's just no point,<br>In reaching out for me  
>In the dark,<br>I'm just no good at giving relief  
>In the dark,<br>It won't be easy to find relief  
>And I'm not proud<br>That nothing will seem easy about me  
>But I promise this<br>I won't go my whole life  
>Telling you I don't need<em>

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><p>James walked up the long staircase that led him up the astronomy tower. He had wondered where Lily had gone off to after dinner. He didn't want to use the map to find her, but in the end he had to. He found her solitary dot at the top of the tower that he was now climbing up.<p>

There she was, her flaming red hair whipping around her shoulders in the cold winter air. James noticed she didn't have a cloak or jacket on. He removed his as he walked over to her. When he reached the banister that Lily was leaning against, she didn't even look up.

James looked at her. Her green eyes were skyward and vacant and usual pink lips, that now had a tinge of blue, were slightly parted. James almost didn't want to disturb her from her thoughts, but he had to make his presence known. He draped his heavy cloak over her shoulders.

Startled by the contact of the cloak, Lily's eyes moved from the heavens and over to her left where James was standing.

"Oh. I didn't even hear you come up," she said to him, "And thanks, for the cloak."

"It's no problem. I didn't see you leave after dinner."

"That's because I left before dinner was over." Lily told him as she sighed and turned her body back to its original position and looked back up to the sky.

James had no idea what she could possibly be looking at. The sky was filled with large, grey clouds that were filled with snow.

"Why'd you leave?" He asked her as he turned his body forward and mirrored her actions.

He heard her give a great sigh next to him. "I don't know."

James looked at her from the corner of his eye. "You're lying."

She turned her head to look at him. "And so what if I am? There's nothing you can do about it." She gave him a small smile.

"Well, as your _boyfriend_, I believe we have such a thing as not keeping secrets from one another." He smirked at her.

"James Potter, that is a very dirty trick and I will not be fall for suck tomfoolery."

"But I think you'll give in. You _always_ give in." He said giving her the "puppy dog face" that he discovered never worked, but it made her laugh.

Lily let out a laugh and James couldn't help but feel a bit smug as his plan was coming together nicely. "You're incorrigible, do you know that?"

"I believe over the last six years you've told me just that in more or less words."

James knew what he was doing. He knew something had been wrong all day, but he knew Lily. When she wanted to talk about something, she would. There was no rushing her. And James having lived with Sirius and Peter for several years has learned the art that is patience, as had Remus.

"That is very true. I'm glad you've finally decided to start telling the truth, Potter." Lily said playfully as she reverted back to his surname.

"I always tell the truth, _Evans_. I've been telling you how pretty I found you to be for years now. Of course you'd never believed me, couldn't imagine why, but nevertheless you thought I was just being a prick."

"Why would I have believed an arse like you? You were rude, crude, and always around! I couldn't get one minute's peace without you turning up somewhere, which now I know _how_ you managed that. You had no concept of personal boundaries then." Lily said as she shook her head at him.

"I'm sorry! I was a fifteen year old bloke who wanted the leggy redhead to be my girlfriend."

"And this is what I meant, incorrigible!" Lily laughed as she gestured to him.

"But you love this incorrigible arse, now." He said wagging his eyebrows at her.

"I do." Lily said quietly.

They lapsed into silence. Lily, looking back up at the cloudy grey sky. And James, looking at the woman standing two feet away from him.

"James, do you think that we can win this war?" She asked after several minutes, not looking at him.

"I do. Do you?" He answered with conviction as he kept his eyes on her,

"I do."

"But?"

"What do you mean 'but'? There was no 'but'."

"Oh, but there was. I could hear it."

Lily looked over at her boyfriend. "Fine. There _was_ a but."

"Go on then, don't leave me hanging."

She gave him a fleeting smile before turning her face back to the sky. "Everything just seems bleak anymore, just like the sky right now. After we graduate, I won't have much left. Petunia hates me. My parents could potentially be targeted because of me. I could run away, run back to the Muggle world and leave this war behind, but I'm not. I _can't_. I need to fight; I need to help make this world a better place."

James felt almost the same way. He didn't have much left either, but what he did have left, it meant more to him than anything. His parents were dead and he was the last of the Potters. She was right, things did look bleak, but they couldn't give up. He would stand right there next to her during everything as he was now. She was one of the best things that he had left besides his mates.

"You may not have much, but you still have _something_. I'll be here. I'll always be here. And you have all of your mates and of course mine. Your sister may dislike you, but you still have her. Your parents too. You don't have to worry about that. We'll all be here." He told her as he moved closer.

When Lily looked at him again, he saw tears starting to form in her eyes. "You're right. I don't know why I'm thinking about such a…depressing subject right now. I guess since this is our last year and we're half way through it, I realize I'm scared. Positively petrified."

"And it's ok to be scared, Lil. We're all scared. Just remember you still have us and you won't lose us. I promise you."

"James—"She started.

"No, I know I can't promise these things, but I will try my hardest. That, I can at least promise you."

Lily gave him a watery smile. "Thank you."

"Anything for you."

"James?"

James didn't answer her, but simply looked at her.

"I love you, always remember that. And I promise I will try my hardest also so you don't lose me or anyone else."

"I love you too, Lil," he said wrapping his arms around her cloak clad form, "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, James."

"Feel a bit better?" She nodded her head. "Good. It's bloody cold up here, let's go back inside." He said as he kept one arm wrapped around her as they walked back into the warmth of the castle.


End file.
